Adjustable can punch



July 3, 1951 B. L. LARSON ADJUSTABLE CAN PUNCH Filed July 13, 1950 Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE CAN PUNCH Bennie Lealon Larson, St. Louis, Mo. Application July 13, 1950, Serial No. 173,613

Claims.

This invention relates to punches or piercing implements adapted to punch spaced holes in the top of a can containing, for example, fruit juice or milk.

The main object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable punch whereby two diametrically opposed holes may be punched in the can top near the circumferential edge thereof, in cans of varying diameters and sizes, the implement being readily adjustable to vary the distance between the piercin elements to accommodate the size of the can on which it is to be used.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an implement of the type mentioned having a fixed piercing element near one end thereof and having a carriage slidable thereon and containing as projections therefrom two piercing elements of diiferent sizes, means further being provided whereby either of the last-named two piercing elements may be used in conjunction with the said fixed piercing element for punching two diametrically spaced holes through the can top. Thus, by proper selection of the piercing element on the carriage, the hole punched thereby is either small or large, and where a rapid pouring of the contents is desirable, as in the case of some cans, the larger piercing element on the carriage would be selected.

The above as well as additional objects will be clarified in the followin description, wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration, and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction shown except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view ment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the implement in side elevation applied to a can, the latter being shown fragmentarily in side elevation with parts broken away and partly in section.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary Side elevational view of the implement, illustrating the manner of rotating the carriage to place one or the other of the two piercing elements thereon in position for use.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a can in which one small hole and one large hole of the imple- I have been punched by the implement of this invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a can in which two small holes have been punched by the said implement.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the implement of this invention comprises an elongated bar or body Ill, preferably rectangular in crosssection, having at one end thereof a round opening ll therethrough by means of which the implement may be suspended from a hook when not being used.

A longitudinal slot I2 extends through the body ID for a distance between a point near the other end of the body and a point intermediate the length of the body, and if desired one side edge of the slot may be provided with graduations I3. The width of the lower portion of the slot I2 is greater than that of the upper portion, thereby providing the shoulders I4 on the opposed walls of the slot. A carriage l5, rectangular in outline, is slidably mounted in the slot I2 and has opposed longitudinal extensions or tongues I6 along the lower portions of the side edges thereof, which engage against the shoulders I4. A stem I I, provided with an enlarged gripping head I8, is secured upright, in any suitable manner, in the top of the carriage [5. A washer I8a sur rounds the stem I1 and is held against the body II] by a coiled spring surrounding the stem between the said washer and the head I8. Thus the carriage I5 is prevented from falling out of the slot, by the normal expansive force of the spring I9.

Spaced piercing elements 20 and 2|, of generally conical appearance, project downward from the carriage I5, the one shown at 20 being longer and of larger diameter than the other shown at 2|.

Near that end of the body 10 adjacent the opening I I, a rigid tongue 22 extends from the underside of the body l0, and adjacent thereto but spaced therefrom is a second small conical piercin element 23 of substantially the same dimensions as the element 2 I.

The use and operation of the implement may now be set forth. Assuming that it is desired to punch spaced holes through the top of a milk can 24 near the rim of the can, and in this case it is desirable that both punched holes be small since milk is poured in a thin stream, the implement is applied to the can 24 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. With the carriage in the position thereof shown in Fig. 2, the carriage is first moved along the slot I2 until the distance between the tongue 22 and the large piercing element 20 is equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the can. Then the implement is applied to the can with the tongue 22 engaging the rim of the can and both piercing elements 2| and 23 positioned on a diameter of the can. Then, upon pressin the implement downward, both elements 2| and 23 will pierce the can top and thus provide two small holes therethrough, shown at 26 and 21.

When it is desired to punch two holes of unequal size in a can such as one, for example, containing fruit juice, since it is desirable to be able to pour fruit juices at a rapid rate, then the relative longitudinal positions of the elements 20 and 2| are reversed from the positions thereof shown in Fig. 2, in order to bring the larger element 2t) into position to pierce the can top. This is accomplished, as illustrated in Fig. 5, by pressing the stem I1 downward until the carriage I is entirely clear of the slot l2 and then rotating the stem and hence the carriage through 180 degrees, and finally releasing the stem and thus permitting the spring Hi to restore the carriage into the slot i2. By properly positioning the carriage in the slot l2 and applying the implement to the can 28 in the manner previously described and then pressing downward on the implement, a small hole 26 will have been punched in the can 28 by the small element 23 near the rim of the can, and a large pouring hole 29 will have been punched by the large element 26 diametrically opposite the hole 28.

Thus a novel, simple, practical and useful can opening implement has been set forth to achieve the objects of the invention.

Obviously, modifications in form or structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A can punching implement comprising an elongated body having a rigid tongue extending from the underside thereof near one end thereof, a substantially small piercing element extending from the underside of said body and positioned adjacent but spaced from said tongue between said tongue and the other end of the body, a longitudinal slot extending through a portion of the iength of said body from a point near said other end of the body, a substantially rectangular carriage slidably mounted in said slot, said carriage having means normally restraining the same from upward movement through said slot in a direction at right angles to said body and having additional means normally urging said carriage upward toward the plane of said body thereby normally positioning said carriage insaid slot, said carriage having a piercing element of substantially the same dimensions as said firstnamed piercing element on said body extending from the underside of the carriage, said carriage having a second piercing element extending from the underside thereof spaced from said firstnamed carriage piercing element and of larger dimensions than said piercing element on said body, said piercing elements on said carriage being in alignment with the longitudinal median line through said slot, said piercing element on said body and said tongue being in alignment with said piercing elements on said carriage, said carriage being adapted to be depressed manually to a position below the plane of said body and being further adapted to be manually rotated on its vertical axis to reverse the positions of the said piercing elements thereon in said line.

2. A can punching implement comprising an elongated body having a rigid tongue extending from the underside thereof near one end thereof, a substantially small piercing element extending from the underside of said body adjacent but spaced from said tongue between said tongue and the other end of the body, a longitudinal slot extending through a portion of the length of said bodyfrcm a point near said other end of the body, a substantially rectangular carriage slidably mounted in said slot, means restraining said carriage from upward movement through said slot in a direction at right angles to said body, said carriage having a stem extending at right angles thereto from the top thereof, said stem having a diameter smaller than the width of said slot and having a head thereon, a washer surrounding said stern, a coiled spring surrounding said stem between said head and said washer and normally urging said carriage upward in said slot, said stem being adapted to be manually depressed thereby to lower said carriage out of said slot, said stem being further adapted to be manually rotated to rotate said carriage about its vertical axis, said carriage having a pair of spaced piercing elements extending from the underside thereof and so positioned thereon as to be in alignment with the median line of said slot when said carriage is positioned in said slot.

3. The implement set forth in claim 2, said pair of piercing elements comprising one element of substantially the same dimensions as said piercing element on said body and another element of larger dimensions than said piercing element on said body.

4. The implement set forth in claim 2, said means comprising longitudinal outward extensions on the lower edges of the opposed side walls of said carriage, said body having complementary longitudinal grooves in the lower portions of the opposed walls of said slot, said outward extensions on said carriage normally registering in said longitudinal grooves.

5. The implement set forth in claim 2, said pair of piercing elements comprising one element of substantially the same dimensions as said piercing element on said body and another element of larger dimensions than said piercing element on said body, said means comprising longitudinal outward extensions on the lower edges of the opposed side walls of said carriage, said body having complementary longitudinal grooves in the lower portions of the opposed side walls of said slot, said outward extensions on said carriage normally registering in said longitudinal grooves.

BENNIE LEALON LARSON.

No references cited. 

